Urban Decay Revolution lipstick swatch-fest

Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks

I've been planning on making this post for so long.  Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks are probably my favourite lipsticks, formula and colour-wise.  There are at least 20 permanent shades (the US site has a few extra), plus some that have been limited.  There are quite a few brights and there's definitely a neutral for everyone.  They were released summer 2013 and since then I've had the chance to collect a few of them, including the Full Frontal Stash of minis that was released last autumn.  I highly recommend these lipsticks as they are really comfortable on and there's such a wide choice.  

I am going to show a lip swatch of each colour I have so that you can see them all for yourselves.  I'm not wearing a liner with any of these so that you can see the true colour and the pay-off.

What I take in my wedding bag

I've been to a friend's wedding today so this is just a short post to show what essentials I took in my bag.

I used to use a studded Zara bag for weddings but it got wet and the studs turned green, boo.  I'm not really into bags and didn't have any alternatives.  I had bought this Illamasqua makeup bag in their January sale for, I think, about £6.  It's the perfect size for my phone and a few bits and bobs.

Shopping my stash

I'm going to London IMATS again this summer for the third time.  It's April so the saving has begun. I'm on a no-spend this month which is always fun :-[ not!  To make the month more interesting for myself makeup-wise I am once again 'shopping my stash'.  It basically means that I went through all my drawers looking for makeup that I haven't used for ages.  I'll endeavour to use these items as much as possible in the coming month.

Read on to see what I've picked out.

What difference does foundation make?

What difference does foundation make?

Foundation is a big deal.  The chances are if someone only ever wears one or two make up products they'll be mascara and/or foundation.  Foundation can come in various formulas with varying degrees of coverage.  Coverage ranges from sheer/light to full/heavy.  You may never ever need medium to full, or maybe you'll just want to use it at certain times of the month.  Foundations can also be luminous and dewy, satin or matte finish.  

I tend to go for medium to full coverage as I have blemishes and scarring and also get flushed really easily.  Sometime I will opt for sheer foundation with a full-coverage concealer if there are only a few spots to hide.  I also prefer matte finishes to my foundation as I'm naturally oily and a dewy base would make me an oil-slick by lunchtime.

There's no right or wrong coverage or finish for you; it all depends what you feel most comfortable in and what you feel makes you look your best.  The most important thing to get right is the shade.  Two tips: swipe a few shades of foundation vertically down your jaw line as this is usually the most true-to-colour part of your face; and always check how the foundation looks in day-light rather than just indoors.

Read on to see the differences between light coverage, full coverage plus doubling up.

Sparkly lip glosses

Top to bottom: MUFE D18, Illamasqua Opulent, Revlon Crystal Water, MAC Rags to Riches and Funtabulous, OCC Dune

In general I hate glittery, sparkly, girlie things; I always think they're tacky.  But when it comes to make up I'm a total magpie.  Give me more!  I love glitter; glittery lips, glittery eye shadows, highlighter and plain ole' glitter.  Just see my face today here for more proof.

I thought I'd show you my favourite sparkly lip glosses as they are definitely one of the easiest, and least messy, ways to incorporate glitter into your look.

March Favourites

March Favourites

It's the end of another month so I thought I'd share my favourite products from the last few weeks.  A lot of them will come as no surprise as they've been featured on my blog already or on my Instagram page.

I've enjoyed wearing a lighter base more frequently this month; MAC Face and Body is the perfect sheer foundation that evens things out a bit and doesn't budge.  My Face and Body is slightly too warm but I can just about get away with it.  When I'm wearing a lighter base I want to spot conceal with something heavy-duty and the Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer has been the ideal partner for F&B.

Saucebox Cosmetics Forbidden Fruits palette

SauceBox Forbidden Fruits palette

Yesterday's Silent Sunday was a teaser for today's post focusing on SauceBox's Forbidden Fruits palette.  I've seen so many amazing looks created with their palettes.  Their Etude palette is probably the most popular as it contains eight cool-toned neutrals so can be used everyday and in so many ways.  I have a lot of neutral palettes so I went for something a bit different; their pinky plummy palette, Forbidden Fruits.